Marion Durham Cuyjet (; July 29, 1920 – October 22, 1996) was a pioneer in dance education in Black Philadelphia.
Early life and education
Marion Durham Cuyjet was born in
Cheswold,
Delaware,
[Dunning, Jennifer.]
Marion D. Cuyjet, 76, Pioneer In Teaching Black Dancers, Dies
" ''New York Times'', October 27, 1996. on July 29, 1920.
Her formal dance training began in the 1930s with
Essie Marie Dorsey,
[ who was responsible for initiating formal classical ballet training to Black Philadelphia. Prior to the Civil Rights Movement, African American students of dance were not allowed to join classical ballet classes in Philadelphia because of the color of their skin. Some students studied ballet through private lessons and only a handful of studios, mostly in New York City, would admit black students to special, all black classes. Cuyjet, however, with her fair-skinned complexion, was able to enroll at the Philadelphia Ballet Company, which did not admit black students at that time, and studied there until her identity was revealed after a performance. While at the Dorsey school Cuyjet became close with another student, Sydney Gibson King, who shared the desire to sustain and develop the groundwork laid by Dorsey.
]
Career
Cuyjet, with King, opened the Sydney-Marion School of Dance in 1946, which led to the forming of their own schools shortly after. The Judimar School of Dance opened in 1948, named after Marion and her daughter Judy (born 1940), in Philadelphia's city center. Some of Judimar's former students include Judith Jamison
Judith Ann Jamison (pronounced JAM-ih-son) (born May 10, 1943) is an American dancer and choreographer. She is the artistic director emerita of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Early training
Judith Jamison was born in 1943 to Tessie Brown Ja ...
(later artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater), Arthur Hall, Joan Myers Brown, John Jones, Elmer Ball, Donna Lowe Warren, Delores Browne Abelson, Tamara Guillebeaux, and China White.
Many of Cuyjet's students also studied under the English choreographer Antony Tudor
Antony Tudor (born William Cook; 4 April 1908 – 19 April 1987) was an English ballet choreographer, teacher and dancer. He founded the London Ballet, and later the Philadelphia Ballet Guild in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., in the mid-1950 ...
, who mentored dancers of color and offered weekly classes at the Philadelphia Ballet Guild
Antony Tudor (born William Cook; 4 April 1908 – 19 April 1987) was an English ballet choreographer, teacher and dancer. He founded the London Ballet, and later the Philadelphia Ballet Guild in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., in the mid-1950 ...
, which was established by Tudor in the mid-1950s.
From 1958 through to the 1970s, Cuyjet taught at Maryland State College (now University of Maryland-Eastern Shore), at Delaware State College
Delaware State University (DSU or Del State) is a public historically black land-grant research university in Dover, Delaware. DSU also has two satellite campuses: one in Wilmington and one in Georgetown. The university encompasses four col ...
in Dover
Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...
, and at Cheyney State University in Cheyney.[
After closing her dance studio in 1971, she trained as a movement therapist and then worked at the ]Philadelphia State Hospital
The Philadelphia State Hospital at Byberry was a psychiatric hospital located on either side of Roosevelt Boulevard (US Route 1) in Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was specifically located in the Somerton section of the city on the borde ...
for 11 years.[
]
Other roles
Cuyjet was a dance panelist on the Pennsylvania State Arts Council.[
]
Death and legacy
Cuyjet died on October 22, 1996, at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center.
Personal life
She was married to Stephen (died 1980), and they had sons called Stephen Jr. and Mark, and a daughter, Judith Coldvin.[
]
Citations
Sources
* White-Dixon, Melanye P., "Marion Cuyjet: Visionary of Dance Education in Black Philadelphia" (PhD Dissertation, Temple University Graduate Board, 1987).
* Wallace, Andy
Obituary
''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', October 26, 1996.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cuyjet, Marion
American dance teachers
1920 births
1996 deaths